Nine weeks into the season, and the Patriots are 2-7 and truthfully playing like one of the worst teams in the NFL. Bad penalties, a rash of injuries, a lack of attention to detail, poor situational football, and the lack of a clutch gene have them teetering on the edge of the precipice.
There is no longer an even outside hope of a miracle finish to bring them at least playoff hopefuls. They are, with eight games to go, playing for pride… and jobs. To be as badly outplayed by a team that has already signaled that it is tanking shows the depths that the 2023 team has fallen.